Wednesday, 21 April, 2010 11:28
by ahaney
Shreveport-Bossier’s spring festival season has arrived with Holiday in Dixie kicking things off! The festival opened in downtown Shreveport’s Festival Plaza on April 16 and will run until April 25.
Holiday in Dixie will be celebrating its 62nd year in the Shreveport-Bossier area, making it one of the oldest-running festivals in Louisiana and proving that some things do get better with age!
As always, the carnival is full of food vendors, carnival games and rides and live entertainment. There are some new rides at the carnival this year! I recommend the Freak Out for all of you adventure seekers. Imagine a wrecking ball with seats attached to it and surrounded by lights swinging high and wildly in the air. Just watching this ride made my stomach turn! For the less adventurous, get a great view of downtown Shreveport on the Ferris Wheel.
If you’re not into the rides, definitely go for the food! Other than giant corndogs, funnel cakes, nachos, huge turkey legs and cotton candy, Holiday in Dixie has local food vendors serving Cajun and Creole cuisine. I ate the crawfish boudin and stuffed peppers at Daddy’s Kitchen. Absolutely amazing! The smell alone was enough to make my mouth water. Also, check out the slushy stand, where you can choose from over 10 flavors to make your own drink concoction!
If you go this Thursday-Saturday, get ready for some live entertainment to accompany your food and fun:
· Thursday, April 22, will feature punk/metal band Do Not Resuscitate.
· Friday, April 23, the carnival will have music by Elvis Presley Tribute artist Richard Cook at 7 p.m. and soulful, blues and roots rockers Robin and the Blue Birds at 8:30 p.m.
· Saturday, April 24, will feature Earshot Graffiti, playing a variety of music, from 8:30-10:30 p.m.
Regular hours for the carnival are 4- 11 p.m. Fridays, noon- 11 p.m. Saturdays, 1-10 p.m. Sundays and 5-10 p.m., Monday-Thursday, April 19-22. On the weekend, admission is FREE for all ages before 5 p.m. Starting at 5 p.m. admission is $5. Monday-Thursday festival-goers can purchase armbands for $20 for all rides or pay standard admission which will be $2. Wednesday is Military Night! Those with a military ID just have to show it for free admission. Children under 12 get in free each night if accompanied by an adult.
For more information, you can call 318.865.5555 or visit Holiday in Dixie online at www.holidayindixie.com.